Reenat Fauzia was born in 1967. She belongs to the legendary Khan family rooted in Shibpur, Brahmanbaria. She is the grandchild of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, the legendary maestro of music of the subcontinent, youngest brother of Sursamrat Ustad Alauddin Khan, the world famous maestro of the genre. Her father, Mobarak Hossain Khan is a distinguished musicologist and litterateur and mother Fauzia Khan, is a famous vocal artist. Her first lessons came from her eldest cousin Ustad Khurshid Khan.
You belong to a highly revered family of Classical Music. Do you have regular interactions with your cross-country family members?
Yes, we are lucky to share that bond. Ustad Alauddin’s children and grandchildren reside mainly in Mumbai and Los Angeles. Whenever anyone comes for a visit, we all meet up. Few years ago, my younger brother went to see Annapurna Devi in Mumbai. When Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Sarod) came to Bangladesh, my father took us to meet him. Also his sons Ustad Aashish Khan (Sarod) and Ustad Pranesh Khan (Tabla) keep contact with us. When Aashish Khan came to Dhaka for a visit, he noticed that my sitar lacks proper strings as they are not available locally. He went back to USA and sent me a carton of strings which I still use.
What are you going to perform today?
I will play the traditional classical music. Starting with Aalap, then moving towards Bilambit Teentaal and reach the climax. I have been thinking of playing Raga Kirwani, though I am still contemplating on that. My time limit is 25 minutes. Swapan Kumar Das will be playing Tabla and my son, Tahsin Khan, will be on Tanpura.
How is your preparation, I mean the voice?
Classical music is a very complicated performing arts and we need to practice on a regular basis. I am looking forward to a nice performance, hopefully.
Do you think this programme will renew interest in classical music?
It is a real extravaganza. It’s not only attracting a huge audience but also artistes around the world. It’s really very encouraging. Who knew that there were so many interested enthusiasts in Bangladesh, who would come to listen to classical music! Such a patronage was so crucial for the rejuvenation of audience interest.
If you are requested to give one suggestion to change the scenario here, what would that be?
I would suggest for a government benefaction to the classical artistes. Previously, during the rule of kings and emperors, musicians use to perform in courts and that was their way of warning bread. But we can’t maintain ourselves in that manner nowadays. We need to have another profession to keep ourselves respectably. If the government would provide a clear scholarship and maintain it, we could have dedicated our life towards exploring music.
